Flanagan says Foxwoods has secured option for 30 acres in South End of Fall River; source says location is New Harbour Mall

Wednesday

Mar 12, 2014 at 7:58 PMMar 12, 2014 at 9:50 PM

Brian Fraga Herald News Staff Reporter @BfragaHN

FALL RIVER — Foxwoods Casino has secured 30 acres in the South End for purposes of building a resort casino, officials announced late Wednesday.

Mayor William Flanagan declined to identify the site, saying that he wanted to brief the City Council before doing so. However, a reliable source at City Hall said the location will be the current site of the New Harbour Mall on William S. Canning Boulevard. The mall, which is worn down and has been underutilized, would be torn down to make room for the casino, the source said.

David Nunes, the chief development officer for Foxwoods, said the site is a current commercial property.

“We think it’s a great location,” Nunes said. “It’s a location, I think, that the city will be very excited about.”

Flanagan, who said he will formally announce the location next week, described the land agreement as a “victory” for Fall River.

“This is a big deal,” Flanagan said.

On Jan. 28, Foxwoods Casino CEO Scott Butera unveiled plans to develop a $750 million resort casino in Fall River that would include a 140,000-square-foot gambling floor, approximately 20 restaurants, a 350-room hotel, a “name-brand” shopping mall, an entertainment arena and a convention center and spa.

Officials said the project would reportedly create between 3,000 and 5,000 jobs and generate millions of dollars in revenue.

State Rep. Alan Silvia, who also heads the South End Neighborhood Association, said he could not think of too many locations in the South End where the casino could be built. He mentioned the Fall River Shopping Center plaza on Mariano Bishop Boulevard and the New Harbor Mall as possibilities.

“There are not too many locations with 30 acres. That’s a lot of land,” Silvia said. “I’m as eager as anyone else to hear what that plot land is. That will have a lot to do with what neighbors think.”

Last month, Fall River-Partners of Foxwoods and the investment group Crossroads Massachusetts LLC received six property offers from local land owners for developing the casino.

Flanagan said Foxwoods explored several other sites in the city, but determined those locations to not be feasible because of insufficient infrastructure, contamination and an inability to get property owners to sell or agree on a price.

Flanagan declined to disclose those other potential sites because they currently have tenants.

Kenneth Fiola Jr., the executive vice president of the Fall River Office of Economic Development, thanked the parties that submitted proposals.

“Each proposal was strongly considered and, ultimately, Foxwoods made the determination for what site they thought would work best,” Fiola said.

“Now that they’ve made this decision, there will be plenty of opportunity for public input as it relates to this project,” Fiola said.

The city will hold a public forum in the coming weeks to receive input before drafting a host community agreement in which the city would be looking to secure revenues that would be allocated to public safety and education.

Host community agreements in Springfield, Revere and Everett have been worth between $15 million and $35 million in revenues for the host cities.

A special city election — to be paid for by Foxwoods — will be scheduled sometime in late May or early June.

“This project will be very transparent, and pretty intense,” Fiola said.

“I am very optimistic that the citizens will support this project, and I will go on record that a casino will be built in the city of Fall River,” said Flanagan said, who has been eyeing a casino since shortly after taking office in 2010.

In 2010, Flanagan announced a deal with the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe to build a $500 million destination resort casino in the biopark off Route 24. However, that deal fell apart not only because the state had not yet legalized gambling but also after an opposed group sued over the deal.

Flanagan — who maintained a “we’re still in the game” mantra for years after the 2010 deal collapsed — said Wednesday that the Massachusetts Gaming Commission could issue a gaming license this November.

“The community has all the say, but I think, at the end of the day, you talk about jobs, you talk about revenues and you talk about the different opportunities that will come the way of Fall River. ... I think this is a golden opportunity for Fall River to seize on its current situation, and to take advantage of it,” Nunes said.

If approved, construction on the Fall River resort casino could begin in 2015, Flanagan said.